Cannes: First Clip from ‘Max Rose,’ Marking Jerry Lewis’ Return to Movies After 18 Years (VIDEO)

Cannes: First Clip from 'Max Rose,' Marking Jerry Lewis' Return to Movies After 18 Years (VIDEO)

Check out this first clip from writer-director Daniel Noah’s “Max Rose,” which premieres at Cannes on May 23 and marks the big-screen return of legendary comedian Jerry Lewis. The film centers on an octogenarian jazz pianist (Lewis) who discovers an unsettling secret upon his wife’s death.

Though he’s done the occasional TV and voice actor work over the past two decades, Lewis’ last onscreen role was in 1995’s “Funny Bones.” The film should go over swimmingly at Cannes, as the country’s love for Lewis is so well-known it’s long been the stuff of cultural jokes. Lewis recently told the Hollywood Reporter that when he arrives in Paris, “the front page of the biggest paper says, ‘Jerry Is Here.'”

Here’s a more detailed synopsis:

87-year-old Max Rose (JERRY LEWIS) is a jazz pianist who had
put his professional ambitions aside for the sake of his marriage, his life’s
passion. But when his wife Eva dies suddenly, Max discovers something troubling
amongst her private possessions – an old compact with a very personal note from
another man. To add to his grief, Max
must grapple with the possibility that his 65-year marriage might have been
built on a lie. In quest of peace, Max seeks out new meaning in what should be
his tranquil autumn days and finds comfort from the friendships he develops
with his fellow widowers. Just as he manages to get his life back on track, he
finally learns the surprising truth about his wife and his life.